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W. T. HATCH. Valve Gear for'Steam Engines.

No. 236,398. Patented Jan. 4,1881.

AL m UNITED STATES PATENT @rrtce.

WILLARD T.'HATCH, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOB TO THE .ATLAS ENGINE WORKS, OF SAME PLACE.

VALVE-GEAR FOR STEAM-ENGINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 236,398, dated January 4, 1881.

Application filed September 29, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLARD T. HATCH, of Indianapolis, Marion county, in the State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements relating to Valve-Gear for Steam-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

George H. Corliss, of Providence, Rhode Island, described, in a patent issued to him in 1849, a style of steam-engine which has since come to be known by his name and possesses marked advantages.

My invention is adapted for this (the Corliss) style of engine; and it consists in improvements in the details thereof which avoid difficulties incident thereto.

In the Corliss engine the considerable force constantly applied and removed in operating the valves tends to disturb the position of the rocking valves. The brackets ordinarily used do not adequately sustain them, and a slight movement out of line involves serious evils and causes the valves and their seats to wear out of truth. My valve-stems are extended out farther than usual,and supported at their outer ends in a long bushing sustained in a stiff bracket, which at the inner end affords another long bearing to the stem just within the stuffing-box. Thebrackets, being solidly connected, afford an absolutely reliable support to the stem at both the outer and inner bearing. There is asutficient space between the valve-arm and the outer bearing to allow for the detaching-cam, and the bushing of the outer bearing is extended inward toward the cylinder to cover that space. The stationary bushing. nicely finished on the exterior, forms the center on which the detaching-cam is mounted, and is adjusted by the action of the governor.

Figure 1is across-section through thei'rame. Fig. 2 is a cross-section through the cylinder in the plane of the axes of the valves farthest from the main shaft. Fig. 3 is a section through one of the brackets, semi-tubular in construction, which support the valve-stems.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures. I

A is a rigid framing. A is a broad rib, and A A are shorter ribs. These ribs are grooved ernor and the means of communicating mo tion from the governor to the detaching-cams.

The valve-stems are marked at and the valvearms M.

G G G Gr are stout semi-tubular brackets having broad bases firmly bolted on the cylinder in the positions to partly inclose the several valve-stems. The tubular brackets which inclose the steam-valve stems stand with their open sides down. Each allows the valve-arm M and its connections to work thereunder in the ordmarymanner. Thesemi-tubnlar brackets which support the exhaust-valve stems are set with their hollow sides uppermost, and al low the arms to play on the upper side, as usual. Mounted either way, the fact of their partial inclosure of the valve-stem aids to protect the stem from injury. A, removable stuffing-box, H, is mounted in each. The unusual distance at which the valve-arms M are mounted from the cylinder allows the stuffingbox to be made unusually long, and especially to afford a long and reliable bearing for the stem. There is also a space between the valve-arm M and the outer bearing in each bracket G. A bushing, g, fitted in each end bearing, extends inward across this space. For the steamvalves this projecting end of the bushing is made available as a bearing for the proper detaching-cam, J. This allows these important members of the mechanism to be delicately mounted and turned on fixed supports in their proper relations to their valve-stems and detaching-gear.

With the exceptions above noted, the detached gear, dash-pots, and all the other features may be of the ordinary long-approved construction.

IOO

My invention does not prevent, but rather facilitates, the application of approved de vices to preserve the heat of the cylinder and to regulate the adjustment of the parts.

Many modifications may be made in the details Without departing from the principle of my invention. It will be understood that the several parts not here described or referred to may be constructed in any ordinary or suitaro lole manner.

I claim as my invention 1. In a steam-engine, the solid frame A,-

formed with grooved ribs A a, in combination with the tongued slides B b and fastening I 5 means 1), adapted to serve as herein specified.

2. In valve-gear substantiallyas described,

the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLARD T. HATCH. \Vitnesses:

R. M. OOFFIN, Io. MCDOWELL. 

